Lionel Messi can officially sign his contract with Inter Miami Saturday. The Argentine’s final day as a Paris Saint-Germain player came Friday with his contract expiring.
Messi had interest from Al-Hilal and a possible return to FC Barcelona. However, the 35-year-old decided to reject them to leave Europe for the United States. Despite the rejection, the Catalan side still plans to honor the ex-PSG player.
In an interview with TV3, the president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, confirmed a tribute to Messi.
“We told him that we understood [his decision] and that the culés did too,” Laporta said (h/t Foot Mercato). “Barca will always be his home. I hope he does well in Miami. I told him we were working on a great tribute. We must remember the memory of the great players. I hope it will be when the Camp Nou reopens.”
Furthermore, Laporta shared insights into his negotiations and conversations with Messi. He revealed that Messi had shown genuine interest in reuniting with the club.
While the Barcelona club chief had hopes of a reunion, a tribute will have to be the next thing. As for Messi, he now embarks on helping the game of football grow in the United States. Still, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has the challenge of making a bad Inter Miami team competitive.
